


The Danger of Getting Comfortable

by Lady_Blade_WarAngel



Series: SPYWARE [6]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-03
Updated: 2014-10-03
Packaged: 2018-02-19 18:55:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2399192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Blade_WarAngel/pseuds/Lady_Blade_WarAngel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While the search is on for the missing operatives, Brienne is still recovering and Jaime wants to keep her safe. How is that possible when she wants to go back into the field to find her missing comrades, and still had night terrors about what happened in Moscow?</p><p>(continuing from The Back Hand of The Rainbow)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Danger of Getting Comfortable

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently I shocked people with the last chapter. That makes me glad. LOL! Thanks to everyone who has stuck with this series and carried on reading it. You all have my love for the comments and kudos you send. I really appreciate it. I hope that this part is not a disappointment. (nods)

The Danger of Getting Comfortable.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Three months after Brienne’s retrieval and Robb, Theon and Margaery had yet to be found. Mya had managed to escape from the Warlocks with Dacey, but Dacey had succumbed to her wounds. Mya had been in a state, mostly due to drugs that the Warlocks had forced down her throat to try and make her talk. Weaning her off of the drug had been awful for all of them to watch, and Gendry had never left his sister’s side. Dacey’s death had shaken them all badly. It made them more desperate to find the others who were still missing.

It had taken time for Brienne to recover from her torture at the hands of Gregor Clegane and Ramsay Bolton, and Jaime hated to see Brienne struggling as she was. She would never admit to it either. She demanded Jaime go home and sleep and not fuss over her. But there were times when Jaime would come back to find her in the throes of a horrible nightmare, reliving what had happened. Tonight was one of those nights. Jaime ran in before any of the staff could notice and gently shook Brienne’s shoulder, jolting her out of sleep with a scream on her lips that was abruptly cut off as she realised she was awake and in the medical facility. She was gasping in breaths and she looked at Jaime.

“It was just a nightmare Brienne.” Jaime said gently. Brienne looked at Jaime and nodded.

“I’m okay Jaime. I’m fine. Really. You should be at home resting.” Brienne said sadly. Jaime shook his head.

“I’m not going to rest when I know you’re here having nightmares about what happened to you.” Jaime said firmly. Brienne was trembling, and Jaime was afraid she might yell at him to get out, to forbid him from seeing her, instead she seemed to collapse in on herself. He found his arms filled with her, and to make them both more comfortable, he sat on the bed beside her, and stoked her hair with one hand, whilst rubbing gentle circles on her shoulder with the other, as Brienne sobbed into his chest. “You are going to be okay Brienne. You’re going to recover and all of this shit will stop. Gregor Clegane and Ramsay Bolton are in fucking custody they can’t hurt you or anyone else. You’re safe Brienne.” Jaime told her. Brienne merely held on to Jaime and cried herself to sleep. Jaime didn’t leave that night, just stayed with her.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

“No.” Jaime stated angrily.

“Jaime I’m not asking you. This is a direct order.” Ned stated. It had been four months since Brienne had woken, since Sansa had disappeared, since Robb, Theon and Margaery had been burned and had, as yet, not been recovered. four months, since Pod had been shot, but he had recovered. It was pure luck that he had lived. An inch to the left and that bullet that killed Hyle Hunt would have taken out Pod too.

“Jaime, we know where Margaery is being held now. Loras, Arya and Gendry have already been drafted. You’re the fourth team member that we need.” Catelyn said. Jaime wanted to rage and scream. He knew that if he went on this mission he would be leaving Brienne alone and he didn’t want to do that.

“You don’t need to worry about Brienne.” Ned stated. Jaime blinked. “Catelyn and I have already discussed it and one of us will be around her at all times. She’s still recovering and we know she’s your partner and your friend. You’re not the only one who cares about her Jaime. But we are a team. We look out for each other. It took a long time to find Margaery, and it’s taking even longer to find Robb and Theon. God only knows if we’ll ever find Sansa.” Ned said sadly.

“Sansa fucking betrayed us.” Jaime hissed angrily.

“Selwyn Tarth admitted that Sansa was a sleeper. How he got to her, we might never know. But that means that from the moment she was activated, she had no control over her own actions. She didn’t betray us consciously Jaime.” Catelyn said. She almost seemed to be pleading with him to understand, and in a way, Jaime understood perfectly.

“I... I’m sorry Catelyn. I know you’re right. It doesn’t stop me being angry. But it’s not Sansa I should be angry at.” Jaime said softly.

“When you get back, Olenna said Brienne might be able to leave the hospital unit. Hopefully... she seems to be recovering well, physically.” Ned said. Jaime knew what Ned was leaving unsaid. Mentally, no one knew if Brienne was recovering at all. That was something that frightened them all.

“When are we being deployed?” Jaime asked.

“Tomorrow morning. Straight to Cairo. Vargo Hoat moved out of Croatia as soon as he realised he was being watched. If you intend to stay at the medical unit tonight, you’d best go and get whatever you need before you go back to see Brienne.” Ned said. Of course Ned and Catelyn knew that Jaime stayed at the medical unit to keep an eye on Brienne. Jaime nodded and left Ned’s office, feeling angry but knowing that his job as a Winterfell operative made this his duty, to leave Brienne behind.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Brienne hadn’t stopped having nightmares. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw that dark cell, felt the chains around her wrists, endured the pain over and over again. When she woke, Jaime was there. He was a comfort to her that she had never expected really, even though he was her closest friend. When Jaime arrived that night, he looked anxious.

“What’s wrong Jaime?” Brienne asked him, not wanting him to try and pretend everything was alright.

“I’m being sent on a retrieval mission.” Jaime said. Brienne felt her heart clench in her chest.

“Who?” Brienne asked.

“Margaery. They finally found her. I’m being deployed with Arya, Gendry and Loras to Cairo, first thing tomorrow morning.” Jaime said. Brienne clenched her fists. Her fingers still ached.

“Bring her back Jaime.” Brienne said softly.

“I didn’t... I don’t want to leave you here alone.” Jaime said.

“You’re not leaving me alone. I’m here, I’m safe. Margaery... I can’t imagine what the Bloody Mummers are doing to her, what they’ve already done to her. I’ll feel better knowing you’re going to help bring her home. Especially since we lost Dacey.” Brienne said softly. Jaime leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Brienne’s forehead.

“You need to talk about this shit Brienne. You need to... no one gets over this stuff. I’m not saying that you have to get over it. But you need to... I don’t want to leave you alone because I’m afraid you’ll just retreat into your head. By the time I get back you might be gone somewhere I can’t fucking follow you.” Jaime said. Brienne looked him dead in the eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere Jaime. I...... I have nightmares and I can’t help that. I wish to God I could. But I can’t. But I _will_ survive this Jaime. I’m more frightened for Margaery, for Robb and Theon and even... Sansa is just a kid. She’s with... she’s with _my father!_ He...” Brienne trailed off.

“Did you... did you ever think he might be involved in... well in crime?” Jaime asked. He didn’t think Brienne would cover for her father, but he had to ask her, at least to help her wrap her head around it all. Brienne shook her head.

“He told me he didn’t want me to be a cop because it was dangerous. My... I had an older brother. He was ten years my senior. My mother died shortly after I was born and there were... I would have had two older sisters if they had survived. But Galladon... I was eight when he died. He was... he was shot outside a supermarket. My father said he’d already lost one child and didn’t want to lose another. But I wanted to find people, like the people who took my brother from me, and put them in jail. It turns out _my father is one of those people_ and I never even knew.” Brienne said. “I can’t... I’m not sure if I will ever get over that.” Brienne told Jaime firmly. Jaime nodded.

“Brienne, they said...... when I get back... they’re letting you leave the medical unit. I...” Jaime trailed off. He took licked at his lips nervously. “I want you to come and stay with me, at least until you’re fully functional on your legs.” Jaime said. Brienne made to speak but Jaime stopped her. “I know you can take care of yourself. You’re one of the strongest people I know. But I’m worried about you. You didn’t see the state you were in when I found you in that fucking warehouse. _I_ fucking have nightmares over that. You are my best friend, my partner...” Jaime trailed off. Brienne put a hand over his.

“I think... I think it might be a good idea. I... I hate to admit it, but I’m probably going to need your help... and with my father still out there... he was willing to have me tortured to death Jaime. My own father. He wanted me dead. He may still want me dead. I’m not... I’m not scared... but... it’s smart for me to stick with someone I trust instead of staying on my own. Especially with my fingers still hurting when I bend them, and my leg and arm still weak.” Brienne said. Jaime grinned at Brienne. He knew she didn’t want to seem weak and he knew she wasn’t weak, but they needed each other at the moment. Jaime hugged her tightly, and Brienne hugged him back.

“I’ll always be there when you need me Brienne.” Jaime said softly.

“I know. The same goes for me. If you need me, I’m here.” Brienne said back.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Saving Margaery had proven to be more difficult than they had first thought. Finding the Bloody Mummers wasn’t hard. That was the easy part. But finding the exact building where Margaery was being held was the most difficult part. Vargo Hoat had been born in Cairo, and apparently owned a good few buildings. He liked to keep his prisoners alive for as long as possible, apparently he had a fetish for amputation, and from what the group had heard, Margaery had already lost an ear, half of one foot (to stop her trying to run away) and several fingers. The fact she was a woman apparently meant that she was losing less body parts to keep her functional for the men, including Hoat. It made Jaime, Arya and Gendry sick to their stomachs. It made Loras furious to the point of near madness, desperate to save his little sister. The search took what felt like forever, but was merely a week. People disliked the Bloody Mummers greatly. They caused trouble and attacked civilians on a regular basis, and people were willing to talk about this to get rid of them. When they found the shack that the Bloody Mummers were keeping Margaery in, it seemed like the hardest part was over. But when they raided the place, shot down the men there, and took in those who were alive, finding Margaery became the hardest part. She wasn’t hidden, that wasn’t the difficulty. It was the state they found her in that really got to them all. She was missing both pinkie fingers, the middle finger and the ring finger on her right hand, and the index finger on her left hand. Half her left foot was gone and her right ear had been sawn off with a Stanley knife, or so they were told when Margaery was examined. She was covered in blood and dirt, and things that none of them wanted to name, but were told about anyway. Her left hand was badly infected and the med team said that if she got any worse they may have to amputate it to save her life. The fact that she was even alive was a miracle in itself. It was with a heavy heart that the group brought Margaery back home to London, not sure if she would even recover, let alone get over the horror of the experience.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

A week after Jaime returned, Brienne was released from the medical unit and Jaime insisted on being with Brienne through the whole process, and whilst he knew people were going to start thinking of them as a couple, rather than partners, Jaime didn’t really care. After all, they basically were a couple. Of course they pretended they weren’t. Jaime never knew how to say the right thing, and didn’t want to destroy their friendship, and Brienne was insecure as hell about her looks, even before all of this mess started, and Ramsay Bolton had carved off a piece of her cheek. But to Jaime, it had never really been about Brienne’s looks at all. They both had scars, and Brienne wasn’t just some insipid idiot that would hang from his every word. Brienne was his equal, and there was no one else in the world who could ever claim that really. At least not in Jaime’s eyes.

“Brienne! What are you doing?” Jaime asked in shock when he came back from the office after a  debriefing for another mission, a month later, to see Brienne trying to aim a gun, her finger shaking on the trigger. She looked at Jaime.

“It’s not loaded. I just... I want to be able to shoot again. How am I going to help bring Robb, Theon and Sansa home if I can’t even hold and fire a gun?” Brienne said. Jaime felt his chest constrict painfully at the thought of Brienne on missions again. He was afraid of watching her risk her life. But at the same time, he knew that she wasn’t going to give up her job. He knew her well enough to know that she was too stubborn to give up. So he did the only thing he could do. He sat beside her on the couch and tried to be the friend he already was.

“How far have you managed?” Jaime asked softly, wanting to help her. He knew hindering would make her angry and it would be stupid if she intended to go back into the field. Brienne sighed as she placed the heavy, unloaded gun on the coffee table.

“I can pick it up, hold it steady, but my damn finger won’t stay still on the trigger. It aches and I don’t know how to fix it.” Brienne said. Jaime could see the clear frustration in her eyes.

“Well... maybe it’s just a case of holding the gun at a different angle.” Jaime said. “Maybe we can go to the range at Winterfell headquarters and you can actually try shooting a gun. It might help you to focus.” Jaime said. Brienne nodded and smiled. Jaime stood up and went to go into his bedroom, but felt Brienne’s hand on his, stopping him for a moment.

“Thanks for understanding Jaime.” Brienne said. “I know you’re worried about me. If I’m honest... it’s a scary thought to think about going back into the field. But I have to do it. If I give up... if I stop being Blue... then Gregor Clegane and Ramsay Snow win... _my father wins_. I won’t let them beat me down. They don’t have that right. They don’t have to right to take my career from me. I won’t let anyone make my decisions for me. If I choose to stop working as an agent, it’ll be because _I_ choose it. _Me_. Not anyone else.” Brienne said. Jaime couldn’t help smiling at her.

“There’s the Blue I know and love.” He said. Brienne grinned back at him and Jaime couldn’t help but think that maybe, _just maybe_ , things would come out right in the end.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Jaime had gone on a mission to France, to retrieve information on a possible location for where Robb and Theon might be being held. He was due back that evening. Brienne had gone to the medical unit to see Margaery. It had been two months since Margaery had been retrieved, but she was far from being well. Brienne walked into Margaery’s room. The brunette looked blankly at the wall. Her brown eyes almost glazed over, as though she weren’t really there, not really seeing.

“Margaery?” Brienne said gently. Margaery seemed to come back to herself as she turned her face to look at Brienne. Once, Margaery had been beautiful. A delicate rose just like her codename. Now... a scar ran from right side of her forehead, all the way down her cheek, and ended at her jaw line. Another scar ran from the left side of her forehead to the right side of her nose, her ear was missing, only a gaping maw was left where it should have been. With three fingers missing on one hand and two on the other, and half her foot missing too, Margaery did not look like the same woman. Even her long, chestnut curls had been sheared from her head. Brienne saw scars that ran from her throat and her right collarbone, to under her white hospital gown, a stark contrast of red against her pale skin. Brienne felt almost glad that she had always been ugly, for being beautiful and being ruined must be a far harsher punishment. Then she immediately felt guilty, for Margaery hadn’t suffered because she was beautiful, Margaery had suffered because she was a Winterfell operative. Brienne may well have suffered the same treatment under Vargo Hoat’s tender mercies. It was a frightening thought.

“Brienne?” Margaery said softly. Brienne sat at Margaery’s beside. Her leg had stopped aching unless it rained, and even though her fingers still gave her trouble, her arm had healed very well, despite the operations that left her with scars along her arm, and metal pins within it.

“How are you doing? Loras said you’re not talking to anyone.” Brienne asked. Margaery shook her head. Her brown hair was growing back, but it was still short and uneven, and it barely rustled as she shook her head.

“I can’t talk to Loras about it Brienne. He... he couldn’t possibly understand. They found you quickly compared to how long it took to find me. Probably because Clegane is just too stupid to move his operation, unlike Hoat.” Margaery said softly. Brienne waited for Margaery to carry on. “But while you’re a prisoner, you don’t count the days. Every single day feels like a lifetime, and all the time you’re hoping that someone will get you out, or that you’ll die so you don’t suffer anymore. They didn’t even want information from me. They hurt me for fun. The thing is that even... even when you come back, you’re not really back.” Margaery carried on. Brienne clenched one fist in her lap as she took Margaery’s hand in her own. The missing fingers felt odd, but Brienne didn’t shrink away or feel disgust. Margaery looked at Brienne, brown eyes, met blue and brown eyes started to let tears fall. “You’re not really back, because you don’t think it’s real, and even once you know for sure that it’s real, you just... at night you’re back, in their hands, and you think you’re a prisoner again and that you never really left your captors, and in a way, you never do, because you can never forget. You can’t just make it leave your head. It stays.” Margaery finished, sobbing. Brienne hugged Margaery and offered her comfort until her crying had calmed, then she looked at Margaery carefully.

“It will get better Margaery. It will. With time... it will get better.” Brienne said.

“Have you stopped having nightmares yet?” Margaery asked.

“No. But I don’t have them all night anymore. They’re getting less and less. Sometimes... I’ll have a bad night, if I see something or hear something that triggers off my memories. You’re right, it never really goes away, but it does get better Margaery. Just don’t give up. If you give up, they win.” Brienne replied. Margaery took a deep breath and nodded.

“You’re right. If I give up, then they’ve already taken my life. They took enough from me. They don’t get my life too.” Margaery said softly. Brienne nodded and sat with Margaery until she fell asleep, then she went back to Jaime’s, not really sure how to deal with the feelings that listening to her had brought up.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

When Jaime arrived back at his apartment that night, he saw Brienne trying to practise holding on to her gun. Her whole hand was shaking and Jaime wondered how long she had been trying to make it work for.

“Brienne? How long have you been doing that for?” Jaime asked her.

“Does it matter?” Brienne shot back, her blue eyes full of anger.

“Of course it matters. You’re shaking, not just your hand.” Jaime said, and he realised it was true. Brienne was trembling as she tried to keep the gun steady in her hand.

“It doesn’t matter Jaime.” Brienne stated angrily.

“What happened?” Jaime asked. Brienne turned to actually look at him.

“I went to see Margaery today. There I am, telling her it will get better, but how? How the fuck does it get better? When men take you prisoner and fucking disfigure you like you’re less than an animal? How can it get better?” Brienne asked angrily.

“Because you have people who care about you Brienne. People who want to look after you and make everything alright.” Jaime shot back.

“But it’s not alright Jaime! It’s not alright! I was never a beauty before! I know I wasn’t! Maybe it’s just some _stupid_ sense of pride because it _can’t_ be vanity! But every time I look in the mirror and see half my cheek missing, all I know is that I look like something bit a chunk out of my ugly face! And I hate it!” Brienne yelled.

“Don’t say that about yourself!” Jaime yelled back, suddenly just as angry as Brienne. He was angry that she had to feel that way in the first place.

“Why not? Is it not true? I knew that with our job as operatives that a normal life was always going to be hard. I _knew_ that! But _all of this!_ ” Brienne said, pointing at her scarred cheek, gesturing at her leg and her hands and her other scars. “All of this makes it twice as hard! No man will ever look at me twice, unless it’s to check that they saw what they thought they saw! Some ugly beast!” Brienne yelled.

“That isn’t true Brienne!" Jaime exclaimed.

“How? How can it not be true Jaime? If I wanted to give up being an operative, what the hell would I do Jaime? I won’t even be able to find love! And I know that an ugly bitch like me shouldn’t be thinking about that, but ugly as I am, I still think about those things!” Brienne shot back.

“You’re wrong Brienne! You’re so fucking wrong!” Jaime yelled.

“How?” Brienne yelled back.

“Because I fucking love you! To me I don’t give a damn if you have scars! I wouldn’t give a damn if you had two heads and webbed feet!” Jaime yelled. Brienne looked at Jaime in shock.

“What did you say?” Brienne asked, her voice softer now. Jaime took a deep breath, looking at Brienne, as she looked back at him. He moved closer to her, until he was by her side in the living room.

“Brienne I am so fucking in love with you that it _physically_ hurts.” Jaime said gently. Brienne stared at Jaime with wide eyes. “It’s true. I know you don’t believe it. I know you don’t. You think that I’m only saying it because you nearly died six months ago, or that I feel sorry for you. But that isn’t why I’m saying it.” Jaime said.

“Then _why_ are you saying it?” Brienne asked.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Brienne looked at Jaime, her blood rushing to her head, pounding in her ears, and still so afraid of getting her heart torn to shreds by the one person who held her heart in the palm of his hand.

“I’m saying it because I actually _love you!_ I’ve loved you since that fucking moment I ripped up my shirt to wrap your head after that bullet grazed you. I was _so fucking angry_ with you for risking your life even though _I know_ that’s what we do!” Jaime exclaimed. “I probably loved you before then, probably when we were sat in that fucking car in Porto Alegre, in the fucking heat, and I was winding you up about ‘making the beast with two backs’ with your old partner.” Jaime said.

“It took you _that_ long to figure out your own feelings?” Brienne asked, feeling a little overwhelmed. Jaime had known he loved her for that long and Brienne was only just hearing about it now.

“Yeah. Mainly because I’m as emotionally retarded as you are, if not more.” Jaime replied. He allowed his hand to cup Brienne’s left cheek, the scarred cheek.

“Why did you take so long to tell me this then?” Brienne asked.

“Because I was afraid to lose you. I was afraid that if I spat out that I loved you, that I’d lose your friendship and our partnership, and I... I couldn’t handle that. But all this shit that’s happened... it just... it makes me realise that we just don’t have time to piss about.” Jaime said. Brienne placed her hand over Jaime’s, over her cheek.

“I...” Brienne trailed off. She wanted to say it. She wanted to. She looked at Jaime, looked into his green eyes, that shined like wildfire. “I love you too.” Brienne said. Jaime smiled, not smirked, but truly smiled at Brienne.

“That’s good because I’d hate to think I was alone in this boat.” Jaime said. Brienne laughed a little at that. Jaime leaned forward to kiss Brienne, not fiercely or harshly, as had always been their way before, but gently, like the moment could be taken away from them at any minute. Brienne was the one to deepen the kiss, and there was no frenzy as they slowly undressed each other. Brienne found her hands wandering over Jaime’s chest, and down his arms. They slowly made their way to the bedroom and Jaime was gentle as he manoeuvred Brienne to lie on his bed. Their hands seemed to take time exploring each other’s skin. The curve of Jaime’s shoulder blade under Brienne’s palm, the soft spot of skin on Brienne’s inner thigh against Jaime’s fingertips, the feel of the nape of Jaime’s neck under Brienne’s hand as she drew him closer to her to kiss him, the curve of Brienne’s hip under Jaime’s hand, as he curved his palm over it. With all the sexual encounters they had had, they had never taken _time_ before, just time to explore each other like they did now. Jaime kissed every single scar that Brienne now held, and when Jaime finally entered her, he pressed his lips to Brienne’s in a kiss that seemed to swallow both their gasps and moans as Jaime moved deep within Brienne at an almost languid pace. When they came, it was with a sort of burning fire that had built up, rather than a crazy explosion of fireworks, and for some reason it was far more meaningful that way. They laid in Jaime’s bed, naked and sated.

“So what are we now?” Brienne asked.

“Well we could use Oberyn and Ellaria’s term, ‘paramour’ if boyfriend and girlfriend is too much. We’re partners, best friends and lovers. We’re adult enough to admit we’re in a relationship aren’t we?” Jaime asked. Brienne snorted at that.

“You’re such an idiot.” Brienne stated.

“I’m your idiot though.” Jaime said. Brienne shook her head and laughed when Jaime waggled his eyebrows at her.

“It’s getting cold.” Brienne said softly. Jaime merely grabbed the covers and pulled them up over their naked bodies. They soon fell asleep, curled into each other, and for the first time in such a long time, Brienne’s sleep was completely dreamless.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

It had been four months since Jaime and Brienne had decided to embark on a real relationship when Catelyn and Ned called them into the office.

“We... we found Robb.” Ned said. He looked grief stricken.

“He’s dead.” Jaime found himself speaking, knowing the truth before Ned or Catelyn had to say it. Catelyn’s eyes were red rimmed and tears were still streaking down her cheeks.

“His body was found on Nissi Beach in Ayia Napa.” Ned said. “His head had been removed and set up on a rock with... with an apple in his mouth. His body is being brought back home. Podrick and Olenna will be performing the Autopsy to see... what killed him and how... how he was treated before his death...” Ned trailed off.

“What about Theon.” Brienne asked gently.

“Still no sign of him.” Ned replied. “We’re... we’re still looking.” Ned added. Brienne nodded.

“If Robb... if Robb was found in Ayia Napa, it’s possible Theon is still there.” Brienne said. Jaime started to think about it as well.

“Napa is a tourist destination. It may seem ridiculously surprising, but it may well be the perfect place to keep a prisoner. Teenagers go there to drink and party, there is noise pollution on an almost constant basis. No one would hear... no one would have heard Robb or Theon... over all the noise and excitement that goes on there on a daily basis, no one really hears anything.” Jaime said. Brienne nodded.

“It might be that we’ll find Theon in the strangest place imaginable in Napa.” Brienne said. Ned nodded.

“I’ll have Gendry, Asha, Jon and Sam look into it. The Dothraki are a ruthless bunch and since Drogo’s death, they split into three separate factions. Khal Pono is the most brutal, and we should have...” Ned trailed off.

“We should have prepared for the worst?” Catelyn spat out. Brienne looked down at the ground, and Jaime was the one to speak up.

“I’m sorry about Robb, Catelyn. I really am. I’m truly sorry. I know you can’t prepare for something like this. If we can find Theon and bring him home... that might be something. I know it won’t bring Robb back, it won’t ease your pain, but it’s still... something.” Jaime said gently. Catelyn nodded.

“I hope that Jon, Sam, Asha and Gendry find Theon, and those bastards, and fucking kill them for what they did to my son.” Catelyn said quietly. Jaime couldn’t help agreeing with her. It was a terrible thing that had been done to Robb Stark, and Catelyn was right to want justice for her son. Even vengeance was valid in Jaime’s eyes. He’d grown up a Lannister of the Casterly Rock Syndicate. He knew what vengeance was, and sometimes, vengeance felt a lot like justice.

“I want to join the mission.” Brienne said. Jaime stared at Brienne and so did Ned and Catelyn.

“Are you ready for this Brienne?” Ned asked. Brienne nodded.

“I can fire a gun and hold it straight now. Olenna has finally let me leave physio therapy. I need to do this. I need to do something to help this investigation. Who knows? If I go on the mission... there must have been a reason that my father had these certain people burned. He might be keeping an eye on them. If I show up, he may come out of hiding...” Brienne trailed off. Jaime nodded.

“With Sansa.” Jaime added. Catelyn looked at Jaime and Brienne.

“Alright. I’ll send you two over with Gendry, Asha, Jon and Sam. Six of you should be enough of a force to search and draw Selwyn Tarth’s attention if he is looking out for you.” Ned said. Jaime felt a small sense of relief that at least he would be with Brienne. He knew he couldn’t have kept her from missions forever. This might well be a chance to end this nightmare on their terms.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, the next part shall be the last part of this series. So resolutions will happen. LOL! I hope everyone who read this enjoyed it. I know it was sad, but hey... Jaime/Brienne right? Got to be a plus! LOL! Please comment and let me know what you think. (nods)


End file.
